With regular co-driver Matt Halliday facing shoulder surgery in the United States, top New Zealand V8 SuperTourers team International Motorsport has drafted in Australian tin-top ace Alex Davison to share the #96 J.A.Russell Ltd Ford Falcon with Ant Pedersen in the final round of the 2012 series at Christchurch’s Powerbuilt Tools Raceway at Ruapuna Park in 10 days time.
“Matt did a great job for us at the first two enduro rounds, but the reality is that the driving he has done here and in Australia over the last three months has aggravated an old rotator cuff injury which needs dealing with and dealing with now,” says International Motorsport Team Manager Nick Williamson. “In an ideal world Matt would have been able to complete his programme with us this year, but he can’t so we were lucky that Alex was able to step in at what is really quite late notice to take his place.”
Davison, 33, is a former Carrera Cup Australia champion and V8 Supercar series front-runner who shared a Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon with James Moffat in this year’s V8 Supercar series endurance rounds at Sandown and Bathurst and with just one round to go is lying second in the 2012 Porsche City Index Carrera Cup Australia points standings behind long-time Kiwi sparring partner Craig Baird.
Though he has had to wait until the final round of this season’s inaugural New Zealand series to actually race one of the new V8 SuperTourers, Davison tested one earlier in the year and is looking forward to getting back behind the wheel next week.
“Yes,” he said,” I originally did a deal with the Knights to do the enduro rounds with Andy but then they sold their car so I was left without a drive.”
Davison says he enjoyed his brief taste of the V8 SuperTourer at the test and reckons that the Kiwi cars have their own distinctive feel.
“The obvious comparison is with a V8 Supercar but from my experience with Andy’s car the V8 SuperTourer is more nimble and you can drive it a little more aggressively.”
You can follow the progress of the two International Motorsport pairings of Jonny Reid and Wade Cunningham and Ant Pedersen and Alex Davison on International Motorsport’s website (www.internationalmotorsport.co.nz) or on the team’s new facebook page.
